June is always an exciting month at El Nahual with the arrival of not just the rainy season, but many new students and volunteers from all over the world!
We´ve spent June developing our community garden, dividing it into sections, carrying out a lot of weeding, creating a new compost site, applying organic fertiliser and sowing radishes, peas, maize and beans. The produce from the garden goes towards the food prepared by El Nahual for the children who attend the ´Manos de Colores´Programme.
As part of the learning experience at El Nahual, we offer educational visits to local places of interest. This gives students an opportunity to practise their Spanish in real life situations, as well as providing them with an opportunity to learn more about Guatemalan culture.
This month we have organized trips to Salcaja, a local town that boasts the oldest church in Central America. Students and teachers were also able to sample the local drink ´caldo de fruta´and spend time at the town´s market.
El Nahual has completed the building of the second level of the community centre. This is now serving as a classroom, which was made necessary owing to the greater number of students that we had been receiving.
Construction involved the help of teachers and volunteers, and we are extremely appreciative of everyone´s help.
The new classroom is a great learning environment, with beautiful views over Xela and particularly of the Santa Maria volcano. Please see our facebook page for the latest photos of the new extension.
What: El Infinto will be hosting a Thanksgiving-style benefit dinner for El Nahual. Come enjoy a tasty meal, hot drink, and pumpkin pie for dessert!
Where: El Infinito 7 calle 15-18, zona 1, Xela
When: Nov 22 at 7 p.m.
Why: 100% of the money goes towards El Nahual´s community programs!
Recently, some of our volunteers have been offering ecology-themed English courses here at El Nahual. Our students have been learning about pollution, environmental protection, biology, and ecology. As part of these courses, we are having the kids complete projects that focus on recycling and pollution. The kids have been collecting used snack bags and plastic bottles that we will use to complete art projects.
Thank you to everyone that made our Halloween party a success, not to mention a lot of fun! We were able to raise some money for El Nahual and everybody had a great time. Check out the photos from the party in our image gallery.
What: El Nahual will be selling jello shots, chile rellenos, empanadas, nachos, and a special Halloween drink at Los Chocoyos this Saturday during their big Halloween party. Special DJ guests will include Dub-lo, Token Selecta, Mr. Anderson, and Dubby Dub. Come support El Nahual and enjoy a great Halloween party!
When: Saturday Oct 30 8 p.m.
Where: 7 Calle 15-20 Zona 1 Xela
Cost: 10 Q with a costume and 20 Q without
The best news of the last days: Yesterday every volunteer (each and everyone!) had an amazing good teaching experience in all of our schools: La Cuchilla in the morning, the guitar classes, the secondary school San Jose la Viña (in both classes!) and our everyday Manos de Colores- this time with picnic on the camp...because one afternoon wasn´t raining-yey!
To everyone who was worried about us here because of the heavy rains: we are all safe! We could only not go out of the city for couple of days!
Last week was one of those very intensive ones. We had quite a lot of work preparing our benefit RETRO KARAOKE PARTY. On Thursday our office and the class rooms changed into an origami workshop full of beautiful hearts made of paper. The kids found this activity so interesting that they didn´t want to stop creating more and more hearts. At last, they painted some of them and either took them back home or gave them to the English teachers.
The rainy season has come to Guatemala and some of you may think that we have many reasons to complain: clouds that cover Santa María volcano and don´t let the sun shine, raincoats that we have to put on every afternoon, wet shoes... Nothing further from the truth! We have many reasons to celebrate every single day at El Nahual!
